Participation of children and young people with cerebral palsy in activities of daily living in rural Uganda.
Carin Andrews, Lukia Hamid Namaganda, Christine Imms and 5 others
PMID 35754006WHAT IT FOUND
Children with cerebral palsy in rural Uganda attended fewer daily activities than peers and were less involved when present.
Community activities showed the largest gaps. Severe motor limitations predicted lower participation, but age and sex did not.
Key findings
01Children with CP attended activities always or sometimes in 57% of cases compared to 87% for children without CP.
02Children with CP in GMFCS levels III to V had much lower attendance (35%) than those in levels I and II (70%).
03Children with CP were less involved in the activities they attended, with fewer than 50% being very involved compared to 78% of peers.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
The Picture My Participation (PMP) instrument has not been formally validated in Uganda, though it was pretested and adjusted. Data were collected via caregiver report rather than directly from children, which may introduce bias given limited agreement between child and caregiver reports. The sample size, while larger than previous studies, constrained some subgroup analyses. Some PMP activity items (e.g., paid employment, overnight trips) were less relevant to the population, potentially affecting the generalizability of those specific findings.
Declared interests
Funding was provided by the Swedish Research Council, Stiftelsen Folke Bernadottes Minnesfond, Stiftelsen Frimurare Barnhuset i Stockholm, Stiftelsen Promobilia, Stiftelsen Sunnerdahls Handikappfond, Bernadotte Foundation, and Promobilia Foundation. No conflicts of interest were declared.
The easy way to misread this
Do not attribute the lower participation solely to the physical disability. The study found that attendance and involvement were also lower for children with milder motor limitations (GMFCS I and II) compared to peers without CP, and community activities showed the largest gaps. This suggests environmental barriers, stigma, and lack of support play a significant role alongside impairment.